Course Description:

This course is an introduction to American political institutions and political processes. It is required for all political science majors and minors. It is also required for journalism and social work majors. Something like this should be required for everybody (my opinion). While it would be nice if I could pique your interest in political science, my strongest desire is to help you be the best citizen (or permanent resident) you can be.

I assume no prior work in political science or American government, though I do assume that students have resided in the United States for enough time to be familiar with American culture. If this is not the case for you, please let me know. Many of you will have had a course with a similar title in high school. Though some of this material (mine and theirs) may overlap, my goal is to have you think about these topics in a very different way.

Students will develop critical thinking skills about American politics and society. You will write a fair amount in this course (in the exams and paper), and you will be asked to question assumptions you currently hold about our politics and society. This is the case no matter where on the political spectrum you place yourself.

I emphasize the origins and development of fundamental aspects of American government and relate these to recent political events. Consequently, you can expect lectures to contain material not included in your text. In fact, the text is there mostly to help you. Supplemental readings will serve as the basis for in-class discussions and writing assignments. The midterm and final exams will focus on materials in lecture, discussions, and supplemental readings. In short, class attendance, participation, and the completion of the reading assignments will be necessary to succeed in the course. Coming to lecture is the single best thing you can do for yourself. Plus, I’m interesting.

Course Learning Goals:

1. understand the essential elements of the U.S. political system
2. evaluate the political institutions and processes of democracy in the U.S.
3. promote critical thinking about U.S. politics 
4. question the credibility of data sources on the web
5. develop a sense of what U.S. citizenship means to them

Required Course Materials:

Two books are required for this course. The required course materials for this course are available to you on Canvas or are open educational resources. There is no cost to students.

1. Alexis deTocqueville’s Democracy in America (edited by Richard Heffner) ISBN 0-451-62801-2, Penguin Publishing should be available from the Barnes & Noble Bookstore at Temple University if you wish to have a hard copy (I have placed an order).

I have provided a pdf version of the exact passages assigned in Canvas.

The Charles Library has copies. ***It is extremely important that you read the edition I have specified. There are many versions of this book and if you use a different one, you will probably need to read many more pages to have the same content.

2. We will use an open access textbook, American Government 3e, through OpenStax.

The textbook is already integrated into the Canvas site for this course. The purpose of the textbook is simply to give you further explanation of various topics we cover in class. I will assume you are reading it and will refer to it occasionally, but the supplemental readings and class lectures are far more important for your success. I will post additional course readings on Canvas.

Technology Requirements:

This course requires the use of Microsoft Office (i.e., Word, Excel, PowerPoint). Students can gain access to these materials by visiting the Information Technology Services (ITS) Download Site.

Students should check their Temple email daily for course updates. 

All students are required to comply with Temple University’s Tech Policy.

 Accessibility of course technologies

• Canvas
• Zoom
• Microsoft Office 365

Instructional Methods:

In-person lecture and discussion. Independent readings and individual activities. 

Course Communication

To facilitate communication, the university requires you to have an e-mail account ending in @temple.edu.

During the semester, I will generally respond to emails within 24 hours of receiving them during the week and with 48 hours on weekends

Grading Scale

We assess student learning through one long essay assignment (with two parts), brief weekly reactions to the readings, a midterm examination, a final examination, and attendance and participation in class discussions.

Total = 100%

Assignment Descriptions:

Attendance, Participation and Quizzes

I will take attendance of the entire class in the first couple of weeks, then I will call names of a portion of the class thereafter until Robert and I have learned your names. Sometimes there will be a sign-in sheet. Sometimes there will be an in-class exercise. If we think you are lost, we will give a quiz. If in-person class participation is an issue for you, email us. It is important that you ask questions throughout the term.

Essay on DeTocqueville (two parts)

Reading and writing about deTocqueville will comprise 25% of your total grade. You will have two parts.

Part 1: Grading of deTocqueville essay generated by ChatGPT 3.5. (5%)

Your prof took an 8-hour workshop on AI (Artificial Intelligence)!!! She learned a lot. The central thing is that ChatGPT is basically like a disengaged 10^th grader – the information is threadbare, and the approach is not to commit to anything interpretive.

            Part II: Essay on DeTocqueville. You will receive the essay question on September 21^st and have one week to complete it. We will give you lots of guidance.

Midterm Exam

In-class, hand-written exam. Short, medium, and long essay formats (mostly short and medium).

Weekly Reading Responses

Remember how I told you I had a workshop on AI? Well, I really want to explore its opportunities and limits with you very carefully. Most weeks, I will ask you to give a brief response to the lectures, supplemental readings (or both) using AI. I want you tell me the difference (if any) between how I or an author approach a topic and how AI does. This will be explained in Canvas.

Final Exam

Like the midterm, an in-class, hand-written exam. Short, medium, and long essay formats. Medium and long essays will consider material from the entire course. Short essays will only come from the second half of the course.

Acceptable and Unacceptable Use of AI 
You are expected to use generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Dall-e, etc.) in this class. Doing so aligns with the course learning goal of promoting critical thinking.
You are responsible for the information you submit based on an AI query (for instance, that it does not violate intellectual property laws, or contain misinformation or unethical content). Your use of AI tools must be properly documented and cited in order to stay within university policies on academic honesty. See https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/how-to-cite-chatgpt?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=apa-style&utm_content=blog-how-to-cite-chatgpt

You may NOT use AI to:
● Impersonate you in classroom contexts, such as by using the tool to compose discussion board prompts assigned to you 
●Writing entire sentences, paragraphs, or papers to complete class assignments. 

Statement on Recording and Distribution of Recordings of Class Sessions

Any recordings permitted in this class are only for the student’s personal educational use. Students are not permitted to copy, publish, or redistribute audio or video recordings of any portion of the class session to individuals who are not students in the course or academic program without the express permission of the faculty member and of any students who are recorded. Distribution without permission may be a violation of educational privacy law, known as FERPA as well as certain copyright laws. Any recordings made by the instructor or university of this course are the property of Temple University.

LATE POLICY

There is no late policy for this class. Students must turn in assignments on time. If you cannot complete assignments on time for a catastrophic reason, an extension may be granted if such an extension is requested at least 24 hours before the due date of the assignment. The due date is too late to ask for an extension. Everything is to be turned in on Canvas.

I do not give make-up exams. As above, if there are extenuating circumstances and you inform me before the exam takes place, I may provide you with an alternative assignment.

General Policies

Undergraduate Academic Policies

Course Minimum Grade

Although D- is a passing grade, a minimum grade of C- is required in all courses to complete the program.

For more information, please see Temple University's Academic Policies on Grades and Grading.

Incomplete

A student will be eligible for a grade of “Incomplete” only if he/she: 1) has completed at least 51% of the work at a passing level, 2) is unable to complete the work for a serious reason beyond his or her control, and 3) files a signed agreement with the instructor outlining the work to be completed and the time frame in which that work will be completed. 

Please refer to the following for further details: Temple University’s Incomplete Policy (Policy #02.10.13). 

Withdraw from the Course

If a student wishes to withdraw from a course, it is the student’s responsibility to meet the deadline for the last day to withdraw from the current semester

See Temple University's Academic Calendar for withdrawing deadlines and consult the University policy on withdrawals (Policy # 02.10.14). 

Statement on Academic Rights & Responsibilities

Freedom to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable facets of academic freedom. The University has a policy on Student and Faculty Academic Rights and Responsibilities (Policy #03.70.02).

Academic Honesty

According to the University Student Code of Conduct, students must not commit, attempt to commit, aid, encourage, facilitate, or solicit the commission of academic dishonesty and impropriety including plagiarism, academic cheating, and selling lecture notes or other information provided by an instructor without the instructor’s authorization. Violations may result in failing the assignment and/or failing the course, and/or other sanctions as enumerated in the University Code of Conduct.

Netiquette

Your instructor and fellow students wish to foster a safe online learning environment. All opinions and experiences, no matter how different or controversial they may be perceived, must be respected in the tolerant spirit of academic discourse. You are encouraged to comment, question, or critique an idea but you are not to attack an individual.

Our differences, some of which are outlined in the University's nondiscrimination statement, will add richness to this learning experience. Please consider that sarcasm and humor can be misconstrued in online interactions and generate unintended disruptions. Working as a community of learners, we can build a polite and respectful course atmosphere.

Expectations for Class Conduct 

It is important to foster a respectful and productive learning environment that includes all students in our diverse community of learners. Treat your classmates and instructor with respect in all communication, class activities and meetings. You are encouraged to comment, question, or critique an idea but you are not to attack an individual. Please consider that sarcasm, humor, and slang can be misconstrued in online interactions and generate unintended disruptions. Profanity should be avoided as should the use of all capital letters when composing responses in discussion threads, which can be construed as “shouting” online. Remember to be careful with your own and others’ privacy. In general, have your behavior mirror how you would like to be treated by others.

Our differences, some of which are outlined in the University's nondiscrimination statement, will add richness to this learning experience. Therefore, all opinions and experiences, no matter how different or controversial they may be perceived, must be respected in the tolerant spirit of academic discourse. 

Disability Disclosure Statement

Any student who has a need for accommodation based on the impact of a documented disability should contact Disability Resources and Services (DRS), Ritter Annex 100, (215) 204-1280 or 215-204-1786 (TTY) or drs@temple.edu, to make arrangements. Students requesting accommodations should meet with the instructor as soon as possible after the start of classes to discuss their needs and to provide documentation from DRS. Accommodations are not retroactive.

Additional information regarding accessibility for all technologies used in this course is provided below:

• Canvas
• Zoom

Technical & Academic Support

For a listing of Academic support services available to Temple University students, see the Academic and Support Services Page.

For a listing of technical support services available to Temple University students, see the Technical Support Page.

Counseling Services

As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, substance use, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance and ability to participate in daily activities. Counseling services are available to assist you at the Tuttleman Counseling Center.

Privacy Policy

• Temple University
• Canvas
• Zoom